Category: Opinion

“Does the League care when Cam Newton gets hit in the face five times and pretty much knocked out of the game, and they have all these spotters and people that watch the game specifically for these reasons and you see the guy on his hands and knees shaking his head after he took a shot in the face and they’re saying they didn’t see any indication that he needed to come out of the game? If you take the reigning MVP out of the game in the last couple of minutes with the game on the line, he’d be frustrated, the fans would be frustrated, but it would be in line with what you said you want to see in terms of player safety. But you didn’t, because it would affect the ratings because it would affect the game.”~Richard Sherman, cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks (The Player’s Tribune)

Last week, Richard Sherman stated to the Player’s Tribune that money was more of a concern for the NFL than player safety. In the past, I believe most people would agree with Sherman. But would most people still agree?

In opening week, Cam Newton appeared to have a head injury that went undiagnosed on the field despite the new concussion spotters. In 2015, Newton, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, was injured in a car accident. He suffered two fractures in his back similar to Tony Romo, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. And just like Romo, Cam tried to rush back onto the field to play. Whereas Newton has started the 2016 season, Romo may never be the same and is currently unable to play for the Cowboys.

Whether it is in a quarterback’s DNA or not, we may never know what directs quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL) to try to play football when they should be trying to heal. Now there is nothing wrong with trying to play when one is hurt . . . an injury is a different story. Two fractures in one’s back is an injury. The same is true for concussions.

So, why has the NFL, who claims everything is about protecting the shield, not stepped up its enforcement regarding player safety? Is Sherman right . . . is it more about the money than the safety of the guys who risk their health to make the League (owners) money? Is the NFL still an ostrich with its head stuck in the sand when it comes to concussions?

Most leagues have discussed the fact they realize the importance of protecting athletes against concussions. The problem is the follow through, and the NFL is not any different. It wasn’t until fans commented on the condition in which Newton completed the game that the NFL reacted. Player safety concerns should not be reactive; it should be proactive goal in order to line up with the words the NFL regarding the safety of its players.

Yes, the NFL is business. But isn’t many U.S. citizens’ core values that people matter more than the bottom dollar? Or, is that philosophy changing? And if that philosophy is changing, why do we care what happens to the players? They chose this profession. They knew the violent nature of the game, so the risk lies with them. It’s okay if they basically kill each other on the field. Right?

Somehow, I suppose most folks in society would not agree with most of that last paragraph. Otherwise, war crimes would no longer be a concern for society. However, society with all of its flaws still seeks its humanity and just maybe it would like to see its entertainers (aka players) maintain their humanity as well. And therefore, perhaps, the NFL should really start living up to its word about player safety before it considers its bottom line.

“And regardless if he is a starter or a backup, it doesn’t matter. His opinion and his rights are the same as a guy making a hundred million or a guy making ten dollars an hour.”~Cris Carter*

The answer to that depends on who you ask, and the answer may be as complicated as determining what being selfish truly means. Selfish is often described as being stingy or only concerned about oneself or not caring about other people. It is a phrase that has often been used to describe our professional athletes.

However, there are times when selfish is used to guilt or manipulate someone into doing something that is not the correct course for him or her. For example, spending less time with a family member or significant other because the athlete needs to train or rehab is not being selfish. Nor is the athlete’s refusal to sign an autograph for a fan while she is out on a date with her husband or hanging with her friends. On the other hand, an athlete shrugging his responsibility to those people for excessive training or partying is being selfish.

On the show, We Need To Talk, sports journalist, Aditi Kinkhabwala, mentions she spoke to Jim Brown the day before Muhammad Ali’s funeral. During that conversation, Kinkhabwala asked Brown if he thought today’s athletes were willing to take a stand like Ali did regarding the war. Brown’s response without hesitation to her was “absolutely not. . . because of money.” That’s an implication that today’s athlete is selfish . . . that he relishes money more than the welfare of his fellow man.

The question is: is it true? Are professional and collegiate, or even high school or amateur, athletes to concerned with their own personal brand, endorsements and safety to truly care about the plight of those less fortunate? On the surface, it does appear to be true for the majority of athletes. For every LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson, J.T. Brown or the ladies within the WNBA, there are hundreds more who are not willing to risk endorsements, fans, playing time or their standing within their own culture or team.

Fear overtakes some while not others, so perhaps it is fear that holds some athletes back in regards to taking a stand on the current protests being held by fellow athletes. I am unsure which is worse: the fact some athletes will not participate when they believe in a fellow athlete’s protest, or the fact they state they have no opinion on the subject matter perpetuating the idiotic adage of “dumb jock.” The latter scenario implies that the athlete is either lying or is out-of-touch with the world his fans work and reside in.

And yes, it is easier for an athlete to take up causes that deal with diseases or children. But the children that those athletes are working with need a better future outside of the athletic arena as well . . . those children need a safe place to call home or country. Those children who never asked to be birthed deserve to have adults–to have heroes–who are willing to take a stance so they do not have to face discrimination or fear that being in the wrong place at the wrong time will end their lives by a police officer too quick to fire a gun instead of calmly assessing a situation through conversation.

The blame is not just the athlete who is either selfish or afraid. The blame is also ours as a society. In the words of Amy Trask, former Oakland Raider CEO, “It is absolutely unfair of us as a society, as a collective group, to both criticize athletes for not doing anything to improve society, to improve the community, and then to go nutty and criticize them when they do.”

We, as a society, as a community, need to take that stance with our athletes. In psychology, there is something known as the mirroring effect–reflect the actions back to those who we either want them to continue or discontinue their current behavior. That means we need to support their protests, their charities, and when companies, leagues or teams pull the endorsements or unfairly penalize those players it means us fans, aka society, pull our endorsements of those companies, leagues and teams.

We as a society stand with our athletes, then we can further the conversation and make this world a little bit better for all of our children.

Quotes were quoted by their individual authors on two different television programs: Any Given Wednesday With Bill Simmons (HBO S1|E10) and We Need To Talk (CBS Sports September 13, 2016).